STUDY OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that a complete and rapid clinical history can be obtained using a self-administered, bilingual questionnaire. DESIGN: A post-test experimental design was used to evaluate time spent obtaining the history and information completeness for the two groups. SETTING: Urban county emergency department. PARTICIPANTS: All patients were non-English-speaking Hispanic women who presented with gynecologic complaints. METHODS: Fifty-five patients completed a history questionnaire in Spanish on a form that displayed their responses in English on the carbon copy. In the control group, a history was obtained using a bilingual interpreter. RESULTS: Average completion time was significantly less (t = 14.38; P < .0001) for the experimental group (chi 2 = 5.67 minutes; SD, 1.89) than for controls (chi 2 = 14.58 minutes; SD, 4.19). There was no statistical difference in review criteria for documentation between groups. CONCLUSION: Using a bilingual questionnaire to obtain a clinical history results in more rapid patient evaluation without affecting the quality of information obtained.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that a complete and rapid clinical history can be obtained using a self-administered, bilingual questionnaire. DESIGN: A post-test experimental design was used to evaluate time spent obtaining the history and information completeness for the two groups. SETTING: Urban county emergency department. PARTICIPANTS: All patients were non-English-speaking Hispanic women who presented with gynecologic complaints. METHODS: Fifty-five patients completed a history questionnaire in Spanish on a form that displayed their responses in English on the carbon copy. In the control group, a history was obtained using a bilingual interpreter. RESULTS: Average completion time was significantly less (t = 14.38; P < .0001) for the experimental group (chi 2 = 5.67 minutes; SD, 1.89) than for controls (chi 2 = 14.58 minutes; SD, 4.19). There was no statistical difference in review criteria for documentation between groups. CONCLUSION: Using a bilingual questionnaire to obtain a clinical history results in more rapid patient evaluation without affecting the quality of information obtained.
Authors: Ruhee Shah; Alessandra Della Porta; Sherman Leung; Margaret Samuels-Kalow; Elizabeth M Schoenfeld; Lynne D Richardson; Michelle P Lin Journal: West J Emerg Med Date: 2021-10-27